The first Asian swimming champion who crossed the English Channel was Mihir Sen. He was born in Puruilia, West Bengal in 1930. From the early stages of his life he had a fascination for swimming and to gratify his inner urge for swimming he took training and became a formidable swimmer of his time. Finally, he established a record in swimming the longest distance.
Besides being a swimmer he was also a lawyer by profession at the Kolkata High Court. He was an outstanding swimmer and established five extraordinary records. He swam across the English Channel, Palk Strait, Gibraltar, Wasphorus and Panama Canal. Now his name is included in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Recognising the swimming capability of Mihir Sen, the Indian government awarded him the Padma Shri and Padma Bhusan in 1959 and 1967, respectively. The man who brought many glories to India died in 1997. He remains as a role model for generations to come.